Skein holder



Nov. 1, 1966 P. J. RASH 3,282,530

SKEIN HOLDER Filed June 15, 1964 INVENTOR. Firm (1 1695/1 United StatesPatent 3,282,530 SKElN HOLDER Peter I. Rash, 563 W. Lance Drive, DesPlaines, Ill. Filed June 15, 1964, Ser. No. 375,063 2 Claims. (Cl.242127) My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a skeinholder and more particularly to a simple and convenient device forholding a hank or skein of yarn while it is being rolled into a ball, orbeing used in any conventional manner.

A principal object of my invention is to provide in a skein holder ofthis character, a structure which is highly portable and which containsa rotary unit arranged to receive and support a skein of yarn inextended position so as to prevent tangling thereof while assuring theready release of the yarn to the knitter.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a skein holder of thischaracter a means for readily adjusting the holder to accommodatevarious size skeins of yarn.

A further object of my invention is in the provision in a device of thischaracter of a means for readily collapsing the device for convenientstoring of the same when not in use.

Yet another and equally important object of my invention is in theprovision in a skein holder of this character of a structure comprisinga plurality of radially extending arms which are removably mounted on arotating supporting plate with the arms adjustable through a horizontalplane relative to each other so as to accommodate skeins of varioussizes, with the structure also providing a means for releasably holdingeach of the arms in their desired adjusted position with respect to therotatable support when the skein is in use.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide in a device of thischaracter a structure which provides a collapsible tripod-type basestructure for rigidly supporting and maintaining the skein in anassembled condition.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my improved skein holder in assembledposition and with a hank of yarn supported thereby;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the supporting structure in itscollapsed condition;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the removableconnection of the arms to the rotatable supporting plate;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view showing the arms in an adjusted position; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing in exploded relationthe parts of my invention which comprise the rotatable supporting plateand skein supporting arms.

Practically all of the yarn suitable for knitting is supplied in hanksor skeins and must be rolled into balls before being used by theknitter. It is the object of this invention to provide a practicalsupport having the advantageous features hereinbefore described foraccommodating and holding skeins of different sizes.

In this regard, I show a preferred form of construction and as indicatedby FIG. 1 of the drawings, such structure comprises a collapsible basesupport comprising a vertical tubular standard 11. The base of thestandard 11 is provided with a collar 12 which provide 3,282,538Patented Nov. 1, 1966 a plurality of laterally extend-ing lugs 13 towhich are pivotally connected corresponding ends of supporting brackets14. The opposite ends of the supporting brackets 14 are pivotallyconnected as at 15 to a plurality of legs 16. The corresponding ends ofeach of the legs 16 are pivotally connected as at 17 to a ring 18 whichis slidably journalled upon the standard 11. By this construction, Ihave provided a collapsible'tripod-type base structure for my improvedskein holder.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper free end of the standard 11 carries asuitable bearing 19 which is adapted to rotatably receive one endportion of a shaft 20. The shaft 20 fixedly supports a hub 21. This hub21 is provided with a plurality of apertures 22 equally spaced about thecenter point of the hub 21 as shown in FIG. 5.

The hub 21 is connected to the shaft 20 by an internally threadedbushing 23 which is adapted to threadably receive the shank 24 of a wingnut 25. The shank 24 of the wing nut 25 is adapted to be freelyprojected through a center opening 26 formed in a circular latch plate27.

The skein holder comprises a plurality of radially extending arms 28which are provided with a means for rern-ovably connecting the samebetween the hub 21 and the latch plate 27 in a manner hereinafterdescribed. The arms 28 are preferably made from 'a single strand of wireand are adapted to have corresponding end portions formed to providelaterally extending vertically disposed skein engaging hooks 29. Theopposite corresponding ends of each of the arms 28 are provided with aconnecting element 30, which element 30 is formed by having the ends ofthe arms 28 laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal axisthereof as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.

When in use the base structure 10 is placed in its extended condition asshown in FIG. 1 wherein the ring 18 is at rest upon a stud 31perpendicularly extending from the standard 11. The connecting element30 of each of the arms 28 is projected into one of the apertures 22formed in the hub 21, as shown in FIG. 3. In such a poistion, thelateral portion 32 of the connecting element 30 of each of the arms 28is projected through its corresponding aperture 22 formed in the hub 21,with the offset end portion 33 of the connecting element 30 ex tendingbeneath the underside of the hub 21 in the direction of the standard 11.The portion 34 of each of the arms 28 adjacent its connecting element 30projects out ward-1y from between the hub 21 and the latch plate 27 whenthe latter is in position upon the hub 21 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The latch plate 27 when caused to be pressed upon the arms 28 by thethreading of the wing nut 25 into the bushing 23 provided by the hub 21,will frictionally hold such arms in their radially extending positionwith respect to the standard 11. When a hank or skein of yarn is to beplaced upon the holder, the wing nut 25 is loosened to permit the arms28 to be adjusted through a horizontal plane relative to each other to apoint where the hooks 29 will engage the skein of yarn in a manner todefine a rightangled parallelogram. In this position the device is inbalance and permits the free rotation of the hub and arms 28 relative tothe standard 11. In this manner hanks or skeins of yarn of various sizesmay be readily accommodated by the holder. As shown in FIG. 4, the arms28 have been adjusted relative to each other to accommodate a relativelysmall hank or skein of yarn whereas in FIG. 1, the arms 28 have beenadjustably positioned relative to each other to readily accommodate alarge hank or skein of yarn.

When the device is not in use, the arms 28 are removably detached fromthe hub 21 and the legs 16 are caused to be moved into their collapsedposition, as shown in FIG. 2. The device may then be readily stored.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A skein holder providing a supporting structure having an elongatedhollow standard and a tripodial stand collapsibly carried by saidstandard and including:

(a) a supporting hub rotatably mounted on one end of said standard andadapted to be disposed in a horizontal plane when said tripodial standis in its extended posit-ion,

(b) a plurality of radially extending elongated wire arms connected tosaid hub and provided at corresponding free ends with verticallyextending skeinreceiving hooks disposed within the radii defined by saidarms and beyond the extremities of the extended tripodial stand,

(c) said supporting hub having formed therein a plurality of aperturesequally spaced from each other and from the center of said hub apredetermined distance,

(d) each of said arms having their corresponding opposite ends formed toprovide longitudinally extending offset mountings,

(e) said offset mountings providing an inset portion extending throughselected apertures formed in said supporting hub, with the ends of saidoffset mountings beyond said inset portion lying in facial abutment withthe underside of said hub to bear the weight of said arms and topivotally and removably connect the same to said hub,

(f) and a circular latch plate removably attached to said hub forfrictionally securing therebetween said arms in a predetermined adjustedradial position relative to said standard.

2. The skein holder defined by claim 1 wherein the weight bearing endsof said oifset mountings are of a length less than the distance betweensaid apertures and the center of said supporting hub so as to be spacedfrom said standard and free to move relative thereto while bearing thefull Weight of the arms as they are radially adjusted relative to saidstandard.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 755,403 3/1904Sipe 248-435 X 1,294,291 2/1919 Magnusen 242-1103 3,215,364 11/1965George 242-427 V FOREIGN PATENTS Ad. 66,533 11/1956 France.

20,681 1891 Great Britain. 185,054 8/ 1922 Great Britain.

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE F. MAUTZ, Examiner.

1. A SKEIN HOLDER PROVIDING A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE HAVING AN ELONGATEDHOLLOW STANDARD AND A TRIPODIAL STAND COLLAPSIBLY CARRIED BY SAIDSTANDARD AND INCLUDING: (A) A SUPPORTING HUB ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON ONEEBND OF SAID STANDARD AND ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED IN A HORIZONTAL PLANEWHEN SAID TRIPODIAL STAND IS IN ITS EXTENDED POSITION, (B) A PLURALITYOF RADIALLY EXTENDING ELONGATED WIRE ARMS CONNECTED TO SAID HUB ANDPROVIDED AT CORRESPONDING FREE ENDS WITH VERTICALLY EXTENDINGSKEINRECEIVING HOOKS DISPOSED WITHIN THE RADII DEFINED BY SAID ARMS ANDBEYOND THE EXTREMITIES OF THE EXTENDED TRIPODIAL STAND, (C) SAIDSUPPORTING HUB HAVING FORMED THEREIN A PLURALITY OF APERTURES EQUALLYSPACED FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM THE CENTER OF SAID HUB A PREDETERMINEDDISTANCE, (D) EACH OF SAID ARMS HAVING THEIR CORRESPONDING OPPOSITE ENDSFORMED TO PROVIDE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING OFFSET MOUNTINGS, (E) SAIDOFFSET MOUNTINGS PROVIDING AN INSET PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH SELECTEDAPERTURES FORMED IN SAID SUPPORTING HUB, WITH THE ENDS OF SAID OFFSETMOUNTINGS BEYOND SAID INSET PORTION LYING IN FACIAL ABUTMENT WITH THEUNDERSIDE OF SAID HUB TO BEAR THE WEIGHT OF SAID ARMS AND TO PIVOTALLYAND REMOBALY CONNECT THE SAME TO SAID HUB, (F) AND A CIRCULAR LATCHPLATE REMOVABLY ATTACHED TO SAID HUB FOR FRICTIONALLY SECURINGTHEREBETWEEN SAID ARMS IN A PREDETERMINED ADJUSTED RADIAL POSITIONRELATIVE TO SAID STANDARD.